Graham says SC can lead nation in production of PPE after Upstate plant tour

Graham says SC can lead nation in production of PPE after Upstate plant tour

America must regain control of medical supply chain to beat COVID-19, Graham says

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Updated: 6:46 PM EDT May 8, 2020

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RETURN IN THE FORECAST. MICHAEL: THANK YOU. SEE YOU SOON. TODAY, SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM TOURED AN UPSTATE PLANT THAT’S NOW HELPING IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS. OUR ALLEN DEVLIN IS WITH THE SENATOR IN PENDLETON. >> TODAY IS ABOUT TURNING THE PHRASE MADE IN AMERICA INTO A REALITY. ALLEN: THIS MORNING, SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM VISITED THE MILLIKEN PLANT IN PENDELTON. THIS VISIT COMES FOR WEEKS AFTER THE FABRIC MANUFACTURER SWITCHED FROM MAKING FLAME RETARDANT CLOTHING AND AIRBAGS TO PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19. >> THESE ARE GOWNS THAT OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS WE WILL MAKE 3 MILLION OF, AND THEY WILL END UP ON THE BACKS OF NURSES, DOCTORS, EMT, HEALTHCARE WORKERS, ON THE FRONT LINES OF FIGHTING THIS PANDEMIC. ALLEN: TODAY’S THEME, REGAINING CONTROL OF THE MEDICAL SUPPLY CHAIN. SENATOR GRAHAM SAYS THAT COMES FROM RAMPING UP THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF AMERICAN MADE PPE, SOMETHING HE BELIEVES SOUTH CAROLINA CAN SPECIALIZE IN. >> WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT BRINGING BACK THE MEDICAL SUPPLY CHAIN TO THE UNITED STATES, WHEN IT COMES TO GOWNS AND MASKS AND GLOVES, SOUTH CAROLINA WILL BENEFIT THE MOST WE HAVE ADVANCED TEXTILE MANUFACTURING, AND LET IT BE SAID THAT SOUTH CAROLINA WILL LEAD AMERICA WHEN IT COMES TO RETURNING THE MEDICAL SUPPLY CHAIN. ALLEN: GRAHAM ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT NEXT WEEK HE WILL BE INTRODUCING LEGISLATION TO INCLUDE PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT FOR FRONTLINE HEALTHCARE WORKERS IN THE BERRY AMENDMENT. THAT REQUIRES THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO GIVE PREFERENCE TO OBTAINING DOMESTICALLY PRODUCED, MANUFACTURED OR HOMEGROWN PRODUCTS. >> THIS HAS BEEN A WAKE UP CALL FOR AMERICA, AND WE’RE GONNA ANSWER THE CALL. ALLE

Sen. Lindsey Graham used a tour Friday of the Milliken manufacturing facility in Pendleton to vow South Carolina dominance in production of personal protective equipment for health care workers. Graham said the country regaining control of the medical supply chain and not relying on foreign entities for medical supplies is imperative to being prepared for and beating the coronavirus. "The ultimate goal is for all of our protective equipment that our nurses and our doctors and our health care professionals depend on to keep us safe and to keep them safe will be made in America," Graham said while addressing reporters after the tour.His visit to Milliken comes one month after the fabric production facility signed a $20 million deal to switch production efforts from general fabric production, such as flame retardant clothing and the fabric used to make airbags, to producing personal protective equipment for American doctors and nurses around the country who are fighting the coronavirus. "These are gowns that over the next two months, we’ll make 3 million of," said Milliken Division President Chad McAllister. "And these gowns will end up on the backs of nurses, doctors, EMT, health care workers on the front lines of fighting this pandemic.""The people working in there today are making all of us safer because they're producing the equipment that our front-line health care workers need to keep them safe, which in turn keeps us safe," Graham said. Graham also said he believes South Carolina is capable of leading the nation in a return of the American medical supply chain because the manufacturing infrastructure already present. Graham also said that South Carolina needs to be prepared for a projected coronavirus flare up this fall. "When it comes to gowns and masks and gloves, South Carolina will benefit the most. We have advanced textile manufacturing. We have advanced manufacturing that we can get into the ventilator business," said Graham. "If the virus does come back in the fall, we’ll be well along in the medical supply chain coming back to America, and the gowns we need and the masks we need to deal with a flare up of the virus won’t have to be flown in from China, they’ll be trucked out of Pendleton."Graham says he stands by Gov. Henry McMaster's current course in reopening South Carolina, saying that the state should continue to reopen; citing economical hardships as the reasoning. "I think the governor has a good plan to open up South Carolina, maintaining the health needs of South Carolinians upfront," Graham said. "By the summer, I think we’ll be much better shape. We gotta do it right."When questioned, Graham also said that the reopening of South Carolina, at this time, will likely result in a spike in coronavirus cases, but preventing spikes moving forward without a coronavirus treatment or vaccine will be extremely difficult, and would result in severe damage to the economy. Graham said that he plans to introduce new legislation next week that will include personal protective equipment into the Barry Amendment — an amendment that requires the Department of Defense to give preference in procurement to domestically produced, manufactured or home-grown products, most notably food, clothing, fabrics and specialty metals."Today is about turning the phrase 'made in America' into a reality," Graham said. "This has been a wake up call for America, and we’re gonna answer the call."

PENDLETON, S.C. —

Sen. Lindsey Graham used a tour Friday of the Milliken manufacturing facility in Pendleton to vow South Carolina dominance in production of personal protective equipment for health care workers.

Graham said the country regaining control of the medical supply chain and not relying on foreign entities for medical supplies is imperative to being prepared for and beating the coronavirus.

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"The ultimate goal is for all of our protective equipment that our nurses and our doctors and our health care professionals depend on to keep us safe and to keep them safe will be made in America," Graham said while addressing reporters after the tour.

His visit to Milliken comes one month after the fabric production facility signed a $20 million deal to switch production efforts from general fabric production, such as flame retardant clothing and the fabric used to make airbags, to producing personal protective equipment for American doctors and nurses around the country who are fighting the coronavirus.

"These are gowns that over the next two months, we’ll make 3 million of," said Milliken Division President Chad McAllister. "And these gowns will end up on the backs of nurses, doctors, EMT, health care workers on the front lines of fighting this pandemic."

"The people working in there today are making all of us safer because they're producing the equipment that our front-line health care workers need to keep them safe, which in turn keeps us safe," Graham said.

Graham also said he believes South Carolina is capable of leading the nation in a return of the American medical supply chain because the manufacturing infrastructure already present. Graham also said that South Carolina needs to be prepared for a projected coronavirus flare up this fall.

"When it comes to gowns and masks and gloves, South Carolina will benefit the most. We have advanced textile manufacturing. We have advanced manufacturing that we can get into the ventilator business," said Graham. "If the virus does come back in the fall, we’ll be well along in the medical supply chain coming back to America, and the gowns we need and the masks we need to deal with a flare up of the virus won’t have to be flown in from China, they’ll be trucked out of Pendleton."

Graham says he stands by Gov. Henry McMaster's current course in reopening South Carolina, saying that the state should continue to reopen; citing economical hardships as the reasoning.

"I think the governor has a good plan to open up South Carolina, maintaining the health needs of South Carolinians upfront," Graham said. "By the summer, I think we’ll be much better shape. We gotta do it right."

When questioned, Graham also said that the reopening of South Carolina, at this time, will likely result in a spike in coronavirus cases, but preventing spikes moving forward without a coronavirus treatment or vaccine will be extremely difficult, and would result in severe damage to the economy.

Graham said that he plans to introduce new legislation next week that will include personal protective equipment into the Barry Amendment — an amendment that requires the Department of Defense to give preference in procurement to domestically produced, manufactured or home-grown products, most notably food, clothing, fabrics and specialty metals.

"Today is about turning the phrase 'made in America' into a reality," Graham said. "This has been a wake up call for America, and we’re gonna answer the call."